A great Summer lineup at Westminster

Phil reflects on the upcoming lineup of activities at Westminster this summer.

A summer barbecue at SPEC (Photo: SPEC)

As we enter the Summer months there’s no easing off for the youth service and in many respects the heat is certainly turning up!

Next month we lead a young adult long weekend pilgrimage to Rome and have a wonderfully packed programme all set for our intrepid travellers. The group will enjoy time aboard the ‘Vatican Train’ during their stay and journey to the Holy Father’s gardens at Castel Gandolfo – a truly amazing opportunity. Tours of the Vatican Museums, St Peter’s Square and the Basilica are all part of the programme and I guess some chilled Prosecco on a sunny terrace from time to time too!

Over at SPEC, we’ve begun the official handover programme for our new and refurbished buildings and they all need to be ship shape by early Summer and ready for Cardinal Vincent’s visit to open the uprated campus. No pressure at all!

No sooner has the Cardinal cut the ribbon opening the campus then we welcome our first residents – a young adult leaders group from CAFOD and then a group heading our way from France for a week’s stay. My daughter’s wedding takes place at SPEC at the end of July so the greatest pressure is from my wife Ann and my daughter, Frances.

We’re on the lookout for a catering team and a housekeeping team for SPEC and doing everything we can to promote our retreat centre as the destination of choice for our schools and parishes. Now the sun is shining why not give us a call and have a look around!

Phil is the Director of Youth Ministry for the Diocese of Westminster. He's been married for 25 years to his lovely wife, Ann, and have two wonderful children: Francis, currently a volunteer missionary at SPEC; and Andrew who’s a Bio-med student at UEA. He's a passionate supporter of Doncaster Rovers and enjoy walking with the family dogs, Monty and Henry; the walks are often an opportunity to console himself after another Saturday footballing tragedy!

The Diocese of Westminster is a registered charity No.233699. Our website provides Catholic news, news about Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Catholic prayers, Catholic Mass Times and a church directory for Catholic churches and information about Catholic schools within the London and Hertfordshire area and in the Borough of Spelthorne.